Interesting, and somewhat annoying

[ellid]

I posted my weekly Daily Kos diary last night. The subject was bad romances. I chose three books, only one of which was written in my lifetime Pamela, The Sheik, and Dark Fires).

I deliberately try to avoid contemporary books because the true quality of a book (or utter lack thereof) only becomes evident with time. Romance novels have changed dramatically in recent decades, with even the average category romance being far better today than the equivalent would have been as recently as twenty years ago, so it's better to give recent romances a pass and look to the past for examples of true badness.

One problem: I was stupid enough to admit that I rarely read romances.

I have now received recommendations for at least a dozen romance novelists, some of whom I've tried and couldn't stand (*cough*Diana Gabaldon*cough*), others of whom are writing the equivalent of the sort of fantasy or SF that came out when I was in high school (and that I didn't much like then, when I reading every heroic fantasy I could get my hands on). I downloaded a sample of a highly recommended book and was less than impressed, although I'm going to finish the sample to give it a fair chance.

I've also had at least one person ask if I *really* don't read romances, as if she couldn't quite believe that I'd genuinely prefer other genres. ?????

Now *I'm* wondering just why so many people are so eager to have me read their favorites. I've been writing these diaries since the late winter and have never had such a reaction, or such a flood of recommendations. Is this an attempt to steer me toward books I might enjoy, or a cyber version of "get the straggler into line" because of course I should read romance novels since I'm a woman.

Very strange. Very, very strange.

Comments

[ivyblossom.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your post a lot!

I think people want to share their favourites with you because it seems like you're willing to read the genre but haven't found anything really good yet. So they want to give you books they think you'll love! And you'll be a convert! They are probably mostly wrong, but I think the recs are coming from a relatively good place. :) I suspect romance readers get a lot of flak most of the time and want to prove a point. Like how if anyone writes about fanfiction being terrible there's a flood of people jumping in to say OH THAT'S NOT TRUE.

Again: great post!

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

And I think you're more right than anything else. The books and authors they've suggested are all in genres I said I already liked, and some I've already read (Nora Roberts in her JD Robb persona - I'm just not sure where to start because she's written so many!).

So I may find some new books to read. But a romance convert? Probably not. At most I may find a few new authors, but that's probably about it. :)

[ivyblossom.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's like being Canadian. When people who are not Canadian visit, we really really want them to like it here, and to like us. If they don't, we are completely invalidated and sad. It's like waiting for a pat on the head from the master.

You are the master! The tourist whose opinion and validate/invalidate an entire community!

No pressure, or anything. ;)